Light for Smoke, Section 19
SECT. XIX. Of the pretended modeſty and humilitie of the Independents, by way of compariſon with the Preſbyterians.
Smoke. Pag. 50. BVt there is one Government ſet up already, a Civill, Parliamentary Government, and will you ſet up another above that, or coordinate with it? will you ſet up one government to rule another, or tutor another?
Light.And if your Independent Government were ſet up, which you accompt an Evangelicall and Scripture Government, Chriſts golden Scepter, Chriſt upon his Throne, ſhould that Government be above the Civill Government, or coordinate with it? would you ſet up this government to rule the other, or tutor the other? when you have anſwered theſe Queries put upon Independency, you will ſee it will not be difficult to anſwer the like concerning Presbytery; yet it is evident to all that make any ſerious obſervation on both wayes, that the Presbyteriall Government is more moderate, more ſubordinate to the Parliamentary Government then the Independent, becauſe that is humbly ſubmitted to the debate of the Parliament for approbation of it, and waiteth for their Civill eſtabliſhment before any part of it is put into execution and practiſe, the Independent Government (in this reſpect Independent on the Parliament, as well as on Claſſicall, Provinciall, and Nationall Aſſemblies) comes under no ſuch triall of them, but is ſet up without any authoritie from them.
Smoke. Pag. 50. And muſt you needs ſet up as large a dominion as the civill power hath? muſt your Preſbytery be as ample, as high, as ſupreme as the Parliament? will no leſſe territory or kingdome ſerve it, but all England, whole Nations? muſt Chriſts government be iuſt as long, as broad as the worlds?
Light.Here is a great deale of aggravating Rhetoricke, to bring in a ſuſpicion of a vaſt, and unlimited domination of the Presbytery; and I pray you, Sr, if Independency were the Parliaments darling, as you deſire it, would nor you wiſh it, and, if you could, procure it to be ſet up in every Citie and Towne in England? would not you that think it a good government, the beſt government, advance your good opinion of it, & well-wiſhings to it, according to the maxime, Bonum que communius, comelius? Every good thing the more common, the more commendable? We obſerve your ſedulitie in ſpreading your opinions into remote regions, and cannot but conceive, by your zeale and activitie for your cauſe, that you are ambitious, like the Spaniard, to enlarge your Religion, as he his Dominions; whereof*Myraeus Comment. de bello Bohemic. p. 7. Myraeus ſaith, that the Sunne never ſets, but alwayes ſhines in ſome place or other where he raignes.
Smoke. Pag. 50. Now Reader iudge which government affects dominion? which brings in whole nations under the ſcepter of it? poore Scripture government can be content to ſit downe in a village; To the Church in thy houſe, ſaith the Spirit; in a Citie, as Corinth; and over but a few there, the Saints onelyonly in fellowſhip; to the Church in Corinth, in a Countrey, not over a Countrey; To the ſeven Churches in Aſia, not of Aſia; not the Church of Aſia, or the Church Aſia, a Church taking in halfe part of the world.
Light.And let the Reader judge how much of roving fancie and fond affection, how little judgement is in this paragraph. Which Government, ſay you, affects dominion? &c. ſpeake properly Sir, and the truth will better appeare, and be more ready for ſentence and judgement, and then your queſtion will be; which ſort of thoſe that ſtand for Government (for the government as abſtracted from them hath no affections at all) affect dominion more? You ſay poore Scripture government can be content to ſit down in a village, to the Church in thy houſe, &c. where you aſſume and preſuppoſe (which I deny) that Independency is a government either poore or pure according to the Scriptures. And for Independent Miniſters when you ſee them ſo placed in the Citie, in the chiefe Citie of the Kingdome, culling out of mens charges the faireſt and fatteſt of their flocks to be the materials and members of their newgathered Churches, and ſo ordering their Sermons, and covenanting with their hearers, that they have the moſt populous congregations, all ſects coming to heare them, and adhering to them as to their Patrons, who will not come to the Sermons of the moſt Orthodox and able Preachers of the Presbyteriall way;
When you know, or may know that moſt of them are eminently richer then other Miniſters, how can you, how dare you bragge of the humilitie, and povertie of Independency ſitting down contented with a village? eſpecially, when none of thoſe who ſet up Independency in England planted themſelves in a village, except in vicinitie to ſome great Citie where they might have the profit, and comfort, and the beſt accommodations of Citie and Countrey?
And for the ſmall Church in a houſe, or a particular Citie, in a Countrey, not over a Countrey, in Aſia, not the Church of Aſia; This makes no more for Independency then for Presbytery, when there were too few profeſſing the faith to be ſorted into Congregations Claſſicall, Provinciall and Nationall Aſſemblies; and ſo your inſtance cannot be a fit patterne for theſe times, wherein the profeſſion of the Goſpel is received all over the Kingdome.